Ranking Liverpool's January centre-back targets: Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix, Nathan Collins rated ahead of transfer window

As of Thursday at midnight, Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate will be free to enter pre-contract negotiations with foreign clubs, as the France international prepares to enter the last six months of his contract with the Premier League champions.

The Reds have thus far tried and failed to sign him to an extension amid links with Real Madrid, although it has now been reliably reported that Los Blancos are not considering a move for Konate, who has flattered to deceive for much of the campaign.

The ex-RB Leipzig man has shown signs of a revival in recent weeks, but whether that will be enough for Liverpool to hand him the renewal he craves remains to be seen, especially with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich said to be lurking.

At the same time, Giovanni Leoni is still out for the season with his ACL injury, and Joe Gomez - whose next issue always seems to be just around the corner - is also sidelined with a muscle problem.

Liverpool could therefore be open to the right defensive market opportunity in January, and the Daily Mail claims that they have five targets in mind - Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix, Nathan Collins, Oscar Mingueza and Joel Ordonez.

Here, Sports Mole ranks Liverpool's five central targets from worst fit to best fit.

5. Oscar Mingueza (Celta Vigo)

Oscar Mingueza never quite made the grade at Barcelona, but the 26-year-old forced his way into the Spain setup thanks to his feats with Celta Vigo, playing over 90 minutes in La Roja's Nations League final loss to Portugal this summer.

Mingueza would be a significant passing upgrade on Konate and also provide a greater attacking flair than the Frenchman, potentially helping Liverpool regain some of what they lost when Trent Alexander-Arnold departed, and his contract is also up in the summer.

The ex-Barca man also rarely gets injured, but he has found more success out wide rather than centrally in recent times, and he has not started as a centre-back once for Celta Vigo this season.

Mingueza's versatility means that he could adapt to returning to a centre-half role, but coupled with his lack of Premier League experience, this is not a signing that would excite the Anfield faithful.

4. Nathan Collins (Brentford)

Many perhaps expected Nathan Collins and Brentford to be playing Championship football in 2026-27, but Keith Andrews's men are instead making a push for Europe in 2025-26, thanks in no small part to the Irishman.

The 24-year-old did not miss a single Premier League game last season, registering two goals and five assists in 38 games, although he is still waiting for his first direct contribution after 18 matches in the current top-flight campaign.

A towering, body-on-the-line-type defender, the 6ft 4in Collins sits in the top 1% of centre-backs in the big five European leagues for shots blocked over the past year, although his 58.5% aerial duel win rate is far from spectacular.

Brentford also have Collins under contract until 2029 with the option of a further two years, and Konate beats his Bees colleague on the ball, so it would be a surprise to see the Republic of Ireland international end up at Anfield in January.

3. Joel Ordonez (Club Brugge)

The juvenile Joel Ordonez has burst onto the scene with Club Brugge over the past couple of seasons and has already made over 100 appearances for the Belgian giants.

The Ecuador international has exclusively occupied central zones this season but is also adept at playing in the right-back slot, suggesting that he could inherit the Gomez throne at Anfield.

However, Ordonez ranks in the lower percentiles for many a statistical category when compared to centre-backs in Europe's big five leagues, and he also lacks the Premier League nous of Konate and Virgil van Dijk.

Ordonez does boast a wonderful 98.1% medium passing success rate and 69.2% aerial duel success rate, though, but asking him to fill Konate's boots straight away would be a tall order.

2. Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace)

The aforementioned Guehi has often stolen the spotlight in the Crystal Palace backline, but Maxence Lacroix has now rightly established a reputation as one of the Premier League's leading defenders thanks to his sterling work at Selhurst Park.

The former Wolfsburg man has played every minute of Palace's Premier League season so far, claiming two assists and only being booked on two occasions, helping Oliver Glasner's men keep a praiseworthy seven clean sheets.

Lacroix seamlessly adapted to the rigours of Premier League football, but like Collins, he is also inferior to Konate when it comes to passing, carrying and aerial duels.

1. Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)

A deal that was supposedly 99% done during the summer transfer window, Guehi to Liverpool still seems to be a case of when not if, especially as it has already been confirmed that he is leaving Palace at some point in 2026.

The Reds had identified Guehi as the best fit for their defence a few months ago, and with the Englishman still in imperious form in 2025-26 - scoring two goals and setting up three more in 16 Premier League games - their stance should not have changed.

The ex-Chelsea man has gone about his business with total professionalism after his deadline-day disappointment, excelling on both the defensive and attacking front - he is in the top 6% of centre-backs for shot-creating actions and the top 3% for goal-creating actions in the Big Five European Leagues.

Again, Konate - who has a few inches on Guehi - is clear when it comes to aerial duel success, but what he lacks in height, he makes up for in leadership, offensive prowess and defensive awareness.